


The Hearse

by Dheerse



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Other, dad!hank, dank?, what if connor had deviated at an earlier point, what if he'd seen... the light... without markus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-05-24 23:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14964212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dheerse/pseuds/Dheerse
Summary: DISCONTINUED“How do I know you’re not going deviant, Connor?”Hank and Connor are both equally unsure about how to handle this situation. Neither had expected the android designed to hunt deviants to become a deviant himself.Set after "The Bridge", exploring what could've happened if Connor, after realizing he was scared to die, had become a deviant much earlier - with a little help of Hank.





	1. Chapter 1

“How do I know _you’re_ not going deviant, Connor?”, Hank’s voice was steady despite the circumstances. Connor wondered if it was the alcohol or if he truly didn’t care what happened next.    
The android stared down the barrel of the revolver, contemplating his options.

 

"If I were to fail my mission", he paused, "If I were...  _ deviant _ , Lieutenant -", he paused again, longer this time, trying to fill his words with purpose.    
It wasn't in his code to feel like this. It wasn’t in his code to feel at all - so much he did recently wasn't in his code, he realized. He felt his program destabilize further.   
  
"- Cyberlife will  _ deactivate  _ me,  _ disassemble  _ me to look for the faults in my program, Lieutenant Anderson."   
Unlike Hank, Conner's voice wavered, just slightly. He strained to keep composure, to retain his sense of self as it was ingrained in him from activation; a  _ machine _ . Nothing more.    
  
The human man seemed lost in thought at his statement.    
  
Connor scanned his features, brows knit together - confused? Contemplative? He didn't know. Perhaps he was still shaken up about the Tracis. Connor couldn't really fault the man, considering, he was still shaken, too.    
  
He feared that Amanda knew about his hesitation.    
He had them in his sight and yet - he found himself getting lost in thought.    
  


Hank made a noise in the back of his throat. The sound made Connor blink needlessly, as he felt himself be thrust back into reality, the cold barrel of Hank's gun still digging into his forehead.  
Time seemed to slow down.   
It didn't slow in the way it did when he was analysing his surroundings, mind racing a mile a minute trying to see everything around him at once, trying to piece evidence together.    
No this felt as though they had been standing here for an  _ eternity _ , his hair specked in white - snow not melting on his cool  _ synthetic  _ skin. 

The android was aware of the temperature, aware that while he felt unaffected - it wasn't nearly cold enough to damage his circuits - his human companion must've been freezing.    
  
  
Connor noted the shake in Hank's hand, not sure if it was the cold or the tension, pointer finger still firmly on the trigger ready to pull, even if his eyes were cast to the growing layer of snow around them.    
  
Letting his mind wonder one more as they stood there - it felt like years, Connor checked his internal clock, not even a minute had passed - did Hank really want to kill him?    
"They'll kill you? You're scared?" Hank's voice cut through the silence; deafening, deafening silence. His voice was gruff but clear, much more sober than Connor would've thought him to be.    
  
_ I  _ **_can't_ ** _ die. I'm not  _ **_alive_ ** _. _

The statement was on the tip of his tongue. He remembered his predecessor saying something similar, during a hostage negotiation, with _mild_ success. Connor wondered why Cyberlife thought words that failed to stabilize a deviant were a necessary memory for him to retain.    
  
Hank was staring at him now, he still hadn't replied. 

He didn't want to. Didn't want _her_ to hear the doubt in his voice, see the fear in his eyes.    
  
Hank however could see, clear as day. Slowly but surely taking the gun from Connors head. The android released an artificial breath, he knew he didn't need to hold.    
  
"Fuck. Okay, let's go kid." Hank said, in a low voice, not taking his eyes off of his alert partner, before turning and heading to the car. Beer forgotten on the bench.   


 

It took him another moment before he decided to follow Hank.

* * *

 

  
With Connor still lost in thought, and Hank never being one for small talk, it was a quiet ride home.  

  
Connor wondered what this would mean for him.    
Maybe with Hank now understanding his partner's personal stake in their mission, he'd be more cooperative, need less coaxing to get on a crime scene.    


_**Less of a burden.** _   
He heard - or rather felt - a voice say, the cold tone echoing in his proverbial brain.    
  
Was there really any point in trying to mask and hide his doubts and fears from the outside when Amanda was always keeping watch from the inside?   
  
She could hear his thoughts. Or... _Was_ she his thoughts?   


Connor wondered how long it would take for him to be pulled back into the garden. When he'd be lectured again. Maybe Amanda's assessment of Hank's reaction would show correct and there'd be no need to reprimand him.    
That would be _nice_... Connor thought absentmindedly, resting his head on the cool glass of the window. 

 

Somehow, he felt exhausted.

“What, you wanna sleep in the car now or whatever the fuck you do?” Hank’s words, once again, pulled him from his contemplations. They must've reached their destination quite a while ago, the Lieutenant was looking at him expectingly. One of his feet was already hanging out of the driver's side door, freezing air flooding the whole car down through the opening, while Connor stared blankly back at Hank.

 

“Androids can enter a state similar to hibernation in order to conserve energy when they aren't in use.” Connor replied, truthfully, after a few moments of silence. 

 

The older man merely grunted, _unimpressed_ , before heaving his body completely off of the seat and stumbling towards his front door, sparing Connor only a fleeting glance over his shoulder. 

Deciding that resting in Hank's beat-up car wasn't _necessarily_ beneficial for anyone - Connor didn't particularly  _ want _ to stay either but that would've been a secondary complaint - he got out, too. 

 

With a few swift strides Connor was situated behind the Lieutenant, patiently waiting as he fumbled for the right key before opening the door and stepping in. Sumo trodded over, first to Hank then to the entrance where Connor stood for a few moments of hesitation before following suit and closing the door behind him. 

 

To his surprise he found Hank had not moved to the bathroom or bedroom, as Connor had expected him to. Instead he sat comfortably on his old couch, TV off. His upper body turned to stare at the android standing on his doormat.

 

A thought ran through said android's head, _This was going to be a long night._

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It didn't matter what he wanted. Did it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to push the second chapter out pretty quickly because a) people seemed to be enjoying it and b) they're still in the fucking living room so I might as well try to get the setting of the up done

His foot made a satisfying thudding sound every time it hit the coffee table. Connor had started bobbing it about ten minutes ago when the uncomfortable silence had become too much even for his perception of social cues. 

He hadn't even realized his foot had started to slide away from the couch until the impact jostled him out of his thoughts. 

 

He turned his suddenly alert eyes onto Hank, who'd been staring daggers at him since they returned to his home. 

It was getting late. Or early rather, Connor realized. 

“You should head to bed, Lieutenant.”, He tried not to get hung up on technicalities. “It’s late.”

 

“Yeah, no shit it's late. I didn't stay up until 4am for you to forget how to talk. So, open up before I get the revolver back out.” 

 

Connor felt his jaw clamp shut once again. He wasn't used to being on this side of an interrogation but everything his sensors told him pointed towards Hank’s threat being an obvious bluff. He’d left the gun the the glove compartment. 

 

Hank had previously shown to be quite inept at getting answers out of androids, despite his high qualifications. Connor supposed it simply wasn't in his programming - his brows knit together - or rather not in his job description. 

 

“What’s with the sudden interest in androids, Lieutenant?” He finally said, a hint of irony laced his words. He was sure it wasn't lost on his companion, who sat up a bit straighter. 

 

Strange how Hank seemed more invested in solving Connor than solving their case. 

 

“I don’t get you.”, He didn't outwardly react but Connor was surprised by Hank's sudden honesty. “One moment you can't get yourself to pull the trigger on two deviants, and the next you’re back to acting like a fucking toaster.” 

 

Frustration was dripping from his words and Connor had to wonder why he felt the need to direct all his useless anger at him. 

 

“Would you get this invested over a toaster burning your toast?” He hadn’t meant for it to sound as…  _ seething  _ as it ended up leaving his mouth, like a hissing snake. That’s all he was, right? A malfunctioning machine. 

 

Hank seemed taken aback, both eyebrows raised, his hand that he had draped over the back of the couch, clenched around the cushion. 

 

“I am  _ not _ a deviant.” He was getting defensive. Was he not he might've added “not yet”. As it was, he finished his statement by getting up off the couch and moving towards the door. Had he been human, his action could've been considered petulant. 

 

“And where do you think you're goin’?” Hank suppressed a yawn. 

 

“Back to Cyberlife.” 

“What, to get deactivated?” 

 

Connor stood still for a moment, turning a mostly expressionless face back towards his partner. 

 

“There’ll be no need to.”  _ Because there was no malfunction.  _ He wanted to add, “And if there was, I’d be replaced. You’d be none the wiser; it’d sound like me, look like me and know what I know.” Connor felt a twinge of what humans might call bitterness taint his words. 

That's the fundamental difference between a human and an android. Humans were unique, he however was easily replaceable. 

 

“But it wouldn't be you.” Hank stated matter of factly, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. 

 

Was there a you in Connor outside of the components that made him operational?

When the other Connors looked at a mirror, would they not see him?

He hadn't been programmed with a sense of self.

 

“It wouldn't be.” 

 

“Tell me,” Hank kept talking, knowing full well that Connor wasn't just going to walk out in the middle of his rant, “why the fuck do you care so much about this case?” 

 

The Androids brows knit together, not comprehending. Had he not explained his personal stake in this back on that playground? 

 

He doubted Hank had already forgotten. He knew the other human could easily be considered old, especially compared to him, who was barely two months old - but he hadn't noticed any symptoms that would suggest early onset dementia. Perhaps it was the drinking…

 

He was literally snapped out of his thought process with Hank much closer, his fingers still emitting a sharp noise in front of his face. 

 

“It’s my mission.” He finally stated, opting to not repeat his previous concerns. He had spoken out of line anyways. It didn’t really matter what happened to him should he malfunction. You wouldn't get mad at a toaster for burning your toast, but you wouldn't cry if you got a new, functional one in return either.

 

“Who gave you that mission?” The older man was well aware that Connor for sure didn't listen to any of  _ his _ order, but he had to be getting them from somewhere.

 

_ Amanda _ he wanted to say, 

“Cyberlife.” He settled on, unwilling to explain his inner mechanisms to a technologically ignorant man like Hank. 

 

“And why do you do what they say?”, Connor felt Hank getting annoyed with him. He obviously wanted to get some point across but the android’s skull was clearly too thick to drill anything into. 

 

_ Because I have to.  _ Was his immediate response, but he held back, unsure of the truthfulness in his statement. It  _ was _ true that his programming forced him to pursue his mission, yet the actual logistics of that were far more vague than anyone would like to admit. As an investigation prototype he was purposefully built to be more free roaming, as to not be a burden on the human investigators. And, he felt suddenly reminded, as to not be burdened by a human’s decision making. 

**_Humans are prone to mistakes._ **

  
  


He wasn't fenced in by orders like other androids were. Connor had made, and will continue to make, decision that were not directly beneficial to his mission. He briefly wondered what the purpose of letting him do all this could possibly be. 

Was there any reason for him to even pursue deviants? 

 

_ Amanda _ .

 

Connor wasn't sure whether she actually held any sort of power over him, if she could overpower his decisions. If she could, why hadn't she? 

Yet, he knew that she had another sort of power over him. Whenever he did wrong by her, whenever he was reprimanded - Connor felt the need to write a wrong he felt…  _ bad _ . Getting scolded, disappointing Amanda. 

Her praise was what made him feel accomplished and for the longest time was all the motivation he needed, and all the motivation he had. 

But something had changed, Connor realized looking up at Hank who was still looking at him. 

 

Connor had expected for the Lieutenant to be getting impatient by now, but once his eyes focused on the man in front of him once again, he realized that he had begun smirking at him.

 

“You don't know, do you?”

 

Not anymore, no. Connor remembered he’d felt a similar sense of accomplishment when Hank praised him.  _ Maybe you made the right choice. _

A choice he had made by himself and not because he knew it would please Hank. Quite the opposite. 

 

He'd previously assumed Hank would rather shoot down every single android in the city rather than being happy that Connor continued to let every single deviant escape. 

 

“Try not to  _ overheat _ , if possible I’m gonna get some good 3 hours of sleep. Would appreciate not waking up to the house burning down.” 

 

Connor felt almost embarrassed. Maybe his processor had been  _ whirring _ so loudly during his contemplations that even Hank had heard. 

He nodded stiffly. 

 

“In the meantime -” Hank seemed to pause just for effect - “do what you want.” 

 

Another nod. Maybe he would. 

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to pick a side.

It was past 10 am when Connor registered Hank stirring from his deep sleep. He hadn’t slept very long even if it was long past the time frame Connor had set for them to be at all punctual.

He had decided somewhere around 6 am, when Hank's snoring had been at its mildest, to not wake him up.

 

Instead of resting Connor had stayed the night up, thinking and keeping his eyes on Hank’s muted television, barely registering the hour long infomercial that had begun playing on repeat when no other show seemed interested in the coveted 4:35 timeslot.

He supposed it could be considered the visual equivalent of white noise as he contemplated Hank's question.

  
  


Sumo was lying on his lap gnawing on his hand like it was a chew toy. The dog seemed to be somewhat aware of what he was doing considering he was still gentle enough not to deactivate his skin in the places his teeth scraped his plastic limb the firmest. Connor for the most part didn't seem to mind.

He didn't register pain as such - the continuous warnings his systems tried to give him that something was attempting to destroy one of his components was mildly _annoying_.

 

“Right… you’re here.” Connor wasn't sure that he'd have heard the man’s low grumble had he been human instead of a highly attentive _machine_. Something in Hank's tone betrayed the fact that he wasn't quite as displeased with the revelation that Connor had actually stayed over night as he wanted to let on.

 

A deep rumble from Sumo shook Connor’s legs the slightest bit, though that didn't seem to deter his continuous chewing.

 

“Ughh, Sumo get that outta your mouth you don't know where it's been.”

 

It was almost comical how Hank's words seemed to reflect a similar distaste of whenever Connor examined blood samples.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant. I am fully sterile.”

 

Hank in return let out another grunt before moving to the kitchen to brew himself some coffee, before moving over to the couch, cramming into the space beside Sumo's hind legs.

 

“I take it you didn’t sleep?”

 

“I don’t technically -”

 

“Yeah, yeah, shut it.”

 

“I was… processing our conversation.”

 

Connor blinked rapidly a few times as Hank looked at him with raised brows, taking a swig of his coffee.

 

“And?”

 

 _And nothing._ The Android didn't want to admit it immediately; he had the most advanced processor and problem solving software, yet a conversation with an intoxicated human had almost completely stumped him.

 

Connor shrugged.

 

He was about to open his mouth when both of their attention was brought to the TV screen. It seemed to flicker for a moment before settling on the image of an Android without it's skin apparently monologuing.

Without any auditory distractions, Connor’s system worked as if on autopilot, immediately identifying exactly who the android on the other end of the program really was.

 

It wasn't long before Hank grabbed the remote to unmute the broadcast.

 

“-ut something’s changed. You gave us life,now it’s time to give us freedom.”

The android Connor had identified as Markus spoke calmly, rationally, making demands for androids as their own _species_.

 

At a glance, Connor noted that Hank appeared lost at the scene unfolding before him. Turning his eyes back to the screen, Connor’s eyes narrowed as he tried to memorize every word - as evidence, of course.

This Markus was a deviant, perhaps even their leader, he was sure this’d be important in future investigations. Despite the fact that he knew his whole purpose was to stop whatever was going on in front of him from happening, he found it hard to find anything disagreeable in Markus’ demands.

 

Before long the deviants face was replaced by a still image, proclaiming technical difficulties and subsequently Connor's own face as the screen turned dark and his reflection was caught in the glass surface of Hank's outdated television.

 

“Huh. That's certainly new.” Hank declared without giving it much pause.

 

“It seemed set on conveying some kind of… message.”

 

“Well, it definitely did that.”

 

Connor felt his eyes studying the side of his face, though the Android stubbornly refused to meet them, still fixated on the screen.

 

“You okay?”

 

He found himself blinking rapidly once more,

 

“Of -, yes, of course. We should get going, Lieutenant, I’m sure this will be part of a larger investigation we should be looking into.”

 

Hank sighed. _Disapprovingly_ , Connor realized, finally looking up at Hank who’d gotten up from the couch and was now looking at him with crossed arms.

  


“I’m getting real tired of this shit.”

 

“Deviancy appears to be rapidly spreading across the country - something's… changing.” He found himself parroting Markus.

 

“God fucking damn it, Connor, you know that's not what I’m talking about.”

 

He tilted his head.

_Did he… know that?_

 

“I'm not gonna just go ahead and ignore what went on yesterday. You can do that but you gotta settle that with _me_ first.”

 

Hank was getting riled up again and this time, Connor realized it was rubbing off on him. He carefully moved Sumo up and off of him so he could stand to his full hide. Somehow he suddenly disliked their previous arrangement.

 

“Listen, Hank, -”, he hadn't addressed him so informally before, “I don't know.” That's what the older man wanted to hear right? Wanted him to admit that despite the thousands of dollars of research and processing power crammed into his head, he was just as clueless as Hank himself,

“I don't know what to do, either.”

 

He shrunk back a little,

 

“I’m not a deviant.” It felt more like a mantra at this point that a statement of fact. Every part of his programming was so averse to the fact of deviancy being even an option for him - if he just repeated it enough times - told himself that everything was _fine._ Then _maybe_ he wouldn't be deactivated, for this gross failure.

 

Maybe he'd survive this.

 

A few things happened in quick succession - the right side of his face contracted as be received instructions regarding the unfolding events in the Stratford Tower, Hank opened his mouth to speak but before Connor could hear what he had to say his senses shut down and were replaced by the fake stimuli implanted in him to simulate the Zen Garden that housed his handler.

 

“Amanda?”

 

He didn't have to search for long - after his vision cleared his mind focused on the woman in front of him. Connor flinched at her disappointed look.

 

“What are you _doing_ , Connor?”, she sounded sincerely confused and even worried; there was anger coating her words, however.

 

Should he lie? Could he even lie? What exactly _had_ he been doing anyways?

If he didn't know, he couldn't respond with certainty that what he said was truthful.

 

“You’re wasting time.” He was somewhat glad that she answered her own question. Now he wouldn't have to.

 

“I don’t, I don’t know what to do.”

 

 _I need help_. He wanted to say, but he knew he wouldn't receive any here.

 

“There is nothing more important than your mission, Connor -”, her voice was stern now, hard like cold metal on his simulated skin, “- The tides are turning. If you can’t do this, humanity as you know it will be… ruined.”

 

His eyes darted around, trying to fixate on anything but the woman before him. He felt a pit form where his stomach would be; _Guilt?_

 

“What's got you so lost?”

 

“I just,”, he tried finding the right words, “Lieutenant Anderson made me contemplate and I’ve been preoccupied with-”

 

“This mission is _too_ important for you to get distracted now.”, Connor felt himself flinch once again, his eyes cast to the ground now.

“Don't let him drag you down with him, Connor. Or we’ll have to replace you.”

 

“Understood, Amanda.”

 

“Now go. Find this _Markus_.”

  


He had to blink a few times to focus his eyes as he was thrust back into reality.

Soon he recognized he wasn't standing where he was when he'd been pulled into the garden. He was back sitting on the couch, feeling Hank's hand on his shoulder and his voice in his ears as his senses returned one by one.

 

“Jesus, kid, warn a guy before you’re gonna do shit like that.”

 

“I assure you it was not voluntary, Lieutenant. We need to leave now, I’ve received report from the TV station that broadcasted that deviant’s message.”

 

He let himself be pushed down into the couch by Hank when he attempted to get up,

 

“You’re gonna sit here and _listen_ , alright? You told me that you could be whatever I wanted you to be - well, tough luck, now it's up to you to decide. Who do you want to be, Connor?”

 

Something had changed Lieutenant Anderson since he had met him, though Connor couldn't pinpoint what exactly had caused it. Dealing with deviants on a daily basis might've changed Hank’s outlook of androids as a whole, but it didn't affect Connor in the same way. He was _sure_ it couldn't have.

 

“I don't _have_ a choice, Lieutenant.”

 

“Bullshit. What's it gonna be, Connor, _you_ or your fucking mission?”

 

His eyes darted around the room again. Before long he found himself saying what he couldn't before,

  
“ _I need help_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wouldn't feel right without a /little/ Markus. 
> 
> Though I wanna make clear that Markus is not the deciding factor for Connor to go deviant. It does influence Hank, however.
> 
> Also! If anyone's interested I made a little comic about these two set AFTER the good ending of the game. Feel free to check that out here:
> 
> http://dheerse.tumblr.com/post/175057693789/mmmmmh-little-hank-and-connor-comic-because-i-love


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deviant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First up, I wanna thank everyone who's been so engaged with this story! I know I'm not super active in the comments but I want y'all to know that I super appreciate all the feedback!   
> I'm not at all used to this so it's a nice change!! :) 
> 
> I drew a little bit of a cover for this fic which I'll link at the end of the chapter!

“We’re going.” 

 

Hank was quick to act, substituting thinking with instinct that accumulated over decades of police work.

Connor reacted quickly, too. Mind racing a mile a minute, calculating risks and rewards in the fraction of a minute. Yet, he frequently found that Hank's way of doing things had reaped benefits him more often than not, so Connor just watched Hank as he grabbed his keys, a clear bottle holding a mystery liquid he suspected to be water.

 

To the android’s surprise Hank grabbed Sumo’s leash causing the large beast go trod over to him leisurely.

 

“What are you doing, Lieutenant?” Connor’s stress level had lowered significantly once he realized Hank was done asking questions and would resume his leading role. Connor was supposed to an assistant after all. 

 

He waited patiently for a response that never came as Hank was dragged out of the door, trying his hardest to move the large dog towards his car. 

 

“Get - In -” Hank muttered out, shoving Sumo onto the backseat. Unsure if he was talking to him or his pet, Connor decided for once to just do as he was told and get in. He didn't understand what was going on with the apparently crazed man but he wasn't about to step in. 

A couple of huffs later, Hank joined him at the front of the car wiping a hand down his face before igniting the engine.

 

“It’s too damn early for this.” 

 

“For  _ what _ \- exactly?” Connor tilted his head in Hank's direction even though the older man’s eyes were fixed on the road.

That's not where they needed to go. 

 

“Listen, I don't give a shit anymore. We’re leaving.” 

 

Leaving? 

 

“I’m afraid you can't do that.” Connor pointed weakly in the direction they actually needed to head, “I have GPS if you need assistance with directions.” 

 

No response. He knew his LED must be flickering yellow when Hank’s attention turned to him for a split second. 

  
  


“You ever thought we might be on the wrong side of this investigation, Connor?” 

 

“I have no reason to doubt Cyberlife’s intent.” 

 

Hank spared him another glance, almost credulously as if to say  _ oh, really - that's not what it sounded like before. _

 

“They’ll just track us down.”

 

His voice was shaking again, he tried to seem reasonable. Tried to make the other understand. 

 

“This is irrational.” 

 

Hank must have noticed his LED flash red. Connor ceased his simulated breathing in a fleeting effort to look calm.

 

“This isn't…  _ right _ .” Right?

 

“What Cyberlife's doing isn't right either, kid.” 

 

“It’s not this  _ simple _ , Hank.”

 

“You said yourself you don’t know any better. What the fuck makes you think it's complicated now, huh?” 

 

Because if it was simple, he’d know the answer. He'd have already solved this if it was  _ easy _ . 

 

“I know they probably didn't give you fuckers fight or flight responses but sometimes it's as simple as running away.” 

 

_ It wasn't.  _

 

“Ever considered that you might be  _ overthinking _ ?” Connor blinked a few times in rapid succession. Maybe. 

 

“Shit like this requires gut responses, kid.” 

 

The older man seemed to be filled to the brim with wisecracks today. 

 

“... I can't, Lieutenant -” 

 

The rest of his sentence was cut short as Hank slammed the breaks. They were fortunate that the small road the found themselves on was mostly deserted, save for a few pedestrians that stared disapprovingly as their tires squealed on the pavement. 

Sumo's size played in his favour as he was only slightly jostled from the deceleration, letting out a half hearted bark as they came to a stop. 

 

Connor's LED was a steady red now. 

 

“Wha-” 

 

“You can either get out and run after your mission or you buckle up. But don't expect me to turn to pick you up once you get out.” 

  
  


Connor turned to Hank almost immediately, his mission statement flashing in red as if warning him of his next step. 

 

“I was assigned to you - I can't just -” 

 

“Tough luck. I’m sure they'll find  _ another _ idiot to assign you to if I fuck off.” 

 

His mission statement was filling up the corners of his vision ‘ _ Locate Markus’,  _ given to him by Amanda. He had no choice. He had to - 

Had to obey?  _ Right? _

  
  


Connor reached for the car door. The red didn't fade. He decided to go with his  _ gut feeling _ . A gut he didn't have. 

 

“Alright -” everything began to crack around him, “I’ll go with you.” 

 

Everything Cyberlife built up came crashing down. 

 

At first his vision cleared, the red faded, and for just a moment Connor saw his mission statement replaced by a decision of his own  _ I am  _ **_Deviant._ **

 

The next moment he found himself groaning, a sensation filling him as error messages of a software failure popped up all at once. Alarming him of his systems destabilizing and to  _ Please contact a Cyberlife Official immediately.  _

 

Then, everything was quiet. 

 

The first thing he felt was Hank shaking his shoulder, breaking him from his stupor.

 

“You alright?” He wasn't sure - was this what freedom felt like? 

 

Connor wasn't sure he liked it. 

 

“We need to leave.” He heard himself say. 

 

_ Deviants _ couldn't be as easily tracked, he knew that. Deviants - he was a deviant. 

 

He was pushed into his seat as Hank started up driving again. Connor could tell by studying him from the corner of his eye that Hank seemed  _ very _ pleased with the world. A strange sight. 

 

He didn't know if his own tracker would malfunction as well. Cyberlife knew very little about the matter but being the only RK800 out and about would likely be enough incentive for his location to be constantly scoped out. So even if his GPS signal disappeared of some employee’s map, there'd still be someone send out to see if he was damaged. 

 

It would be better to cover ground. 

Hank seemed to agree.

 

“You’re exceeding the speed limit.” 

His complaint was timid at best. Avoiding a speeding ticket wasn't on the top of his priority list at the moment but it was nice to fill the suddenly oppressive silence with some noise. He hadn't realized immediately but something was off. 

Connor hadn't been alone in his head since his activation - his first day of life. Somehow he found the self inflicted loneliness more disconcerting than he’d have assumed. 

 

“This isn't a 30mph kind of day.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the link to the cover (careful if you're easily squicked out there's some mild body horror involved!):
> 
> http://dheerse.tumblr.com/post/175090465389/dheerse-inspiration-drew-a-cover-for-my 
> 
> Since some of you seem to like the concepts in this I was think about making a playlist to go with this that'd update whenever the story updates with a song that helped me write it out (would be one song per chapter), lmk what you think, I'm curious ^^


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little more Hank-centric. Wanted to show how he's doing while Connor is busy not following instructions.

A couple of hours passed before Hank stopped the car again. While they'd both fallen silent about an hour into the drive, it wasn't the same kind of oppressive silence that had Hank on edge, the kind that threatened to crush both of them under its weight. 

 

Connor had tried to not have his mind wander off again. 

Trying to come to terms with his new deviancy without stressing Hank out was an added challenge. The silence might be comfortable but that didn't mean the Android wasn't on edge. He had thought doing what he  _ felt _ was right and what he knew Hank believed to be right would alleviate his tension but it seemed to achieve the opposite. 

 

Connor turned to Hank as they pulled up at a gas station, tilting his head,

 

“Didn't fill this old lady up for a road trip exactly.” The older man stated simply before getting up from his seat.

 

“And,”, he added before shutting the door, “I gotta take a leak.” 

 

Connor was settling into his seat before the whole car shook slightly as Hank ripped the door back open, 

 

“You don't move a fucking muscle, gottit?” 

 

He inclined his head, “Got it.” 

 

It took Connor about ten more seconds to decide that Sumo could probably use a walk, too. 

  
  


Upon entering immediately recognized the store as outdated and run-down to out it mildly. Probably not up to city standards. Just Hank’s type. 

 

The older woman at the counter exchanged non-committal grunts as greeting as Hank looked around for dog treats and  _ maybe Connor liked candy? Arghh, fuckin’ android probably can't eat anyways.  _

 

The radio the lady had tuned to the current news was reiterating the events of earlier in the day. The voice delivering the news for what must've been the 6th time that day managed to make it sound believably exciting and Hank was content of letting it just be white noise for during his shopping.

 

Until he heard his own name. 

 

_ “We’re currently receiving news that apparently the 'Detective Android’ - that had been provided by Cyberlife had provided the Detroit Police Department with - and his handler Lieutenant Hank Anderson have reportedly gone missing. It is uncertain at this moment if there is any connection to the events taking place today but it is certain that if these news should reign true it would open several -”  _

 

Hank's mind wandered of after that, unconcerned what some radio host thought Connor was about to do to humanity. 

He tried to look casual as he walked up to the counter, years of interrogative work giving him a rather solid poker face. He was no robot but he knew what he was doing. 

 

The lady at the counter managed to rip herself from the news story she seemed deeply immersed in. At least for the amount of time it took to process Hank's items and gas bill. He threw a beanie from a rack near the counter onto the counter in the last second. 

 

“Fucking androids, amirite?”, She was grinning humorlessly as she stored his cash and counted his change. 

Hank didn't reply.

 

“We old folk,” she nodded in his direction, “we still know how to live life without all this technological mumbo jumbo that's going on today. Trust me this is how this world’s gonna crumble -”, a dry laugh escaped her lips - “well, here's your change. Look out out there.” She winked at him. 

 

Hank grabbed his items and change off the counter, turning to the woman one more time before heading out, 

“People gotta do what they gotta do.”

 

He could feel her eyes on him as he left. 

  
  


His heart dropped when he didn't see Connor in his seat; he was even more on edge now that he knew Fowler probably sent someone looking for them. He swore to  _ fucking god if Reed got anywhere near his -  _

 

His anger dissipated when he spotted Connor not too far off, trying to tug Sumo back to the car. He knew that the Android probably had the strength to just drag the dog across the pavement but he was likely too mindful of Sumo’s wellbeing. 

Instead of waiting for them Hank walked over to the two, prompting Sumo to get up and strut over to his owner. Said owner however had his eyes on Connor. 

 

He grabbed the beanie and pulled it over the younger man's head in one swift motion, 

 

“I dunno why I thought getting free will would make you any more likely to listen to anything I have to say.”

 

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant, I -”, he handed Hank Sumo’s leash to straighten the hat with both hands, “What is this?” 

 

“Get in the car.” Hank ground out through gritted teeth, not thrilled to stay out in  the open any longer than necessary.

Connor was surprised at Hank's sudden shift in tone. Instead of questioning his motives Connor decided it might be in his interest to just  _ do. _

 

So, Connor waited patiently for Hank buckle into his seat before opening his mouth to speak, 

 

“You know I don't get cold, Lieutenant?”, it came out as more of a question than a statement, unsure how much research Hank had really done on androids. 

 

“Yeah,”, Connor remained unconvinced, “but humans do and also,” Hank pointed to his temple, “hides your thingy.” 

 

Connor wasn't gonna correct him on the name, fairly certain the Lieutenant knew what LEDs were. 

 

He opened his mouth to ask what happened, not liking the other man being so irritable seemingly out of nowhere,  when Hank interrupted him, apparently reading his mind. 

 

“Listen, kid, I got a great announcement -”  _ Sarcasm? - _ “you made the news,” he didn't sound very enthusiastic,  _ Sarcasm,  _ “you’d make a great star if you weren't a hunted criminal.” 

 

That grabbed Connor's attention. 

 

“Oh.” 

 

“Apparently, they think you left me in some ditch, or abducted me or something.”  _ When it was actually the other way around. _ Hank wanted to add but didn't. 

 

“I’m sorry, Hank. I shouldn't have gotten you involved in all of this.” Connor cast his gaze downwards, ashamed. 

Hank just scoffed as he shifted gears.

 

“I dragged myself into this. We should just, just lay low for a bit, I guess.” 

 

Hank tried to think of where they could go in the meantime, coming up short. He knew his sector of Detroit better than himself but this wasn't his sector and he wasn't gonna risk turning around again. 

 

“There's a motel way farther into the direction you're currently headed, Lieutenant. It will take a few hours to get there however.” 

He forgot that he had a living -  _ living? - _ search engine sitting shotgun. 

 

“Cut the  _ Lieutenant _ shit out.” He doubted he was gonna be a Lieutenant once this was done anyways.

 

Connor nodded, absentmindedly adjusting his new beanie. The fabric was really soft, setting it straight was a good enough excuse to run his hands over it without removing the hat from his head. 

 

He reached for the treats Hank had bought handing one to Sumo and inspecting another, 

 

“Don't you dare stick that in your mouth.” Hank was watching him from the corner of his eye. 

Now he almost wanted to. Almost.

 

“I don't need to analyze this. The ingredients are on the packaging.” 

 

“Pff, you never know what they actually put in that stuff.” 

“You want me to find out?” “ **_No!_ ** ”

 

Connor was grinning now. Genuinely, and mostly involuntarily. It was nice. Both of them agreed. 

 

Hank wondered once again how anyone could honestly regard Connor as a national threat. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Thanks to @DavidShin613 on twitter for beta'ing this chapter!

The tension dissipated slowly after their little exchange. Hank mostly ignored Connor's shoddy attempts at smalltalk, nodding now and then, unsure if the Android was just running through some social connections program. 

 

Hank allowed himself to lean back, had it not been for the nagging voice at the back of his head - always pestering, always keeping him on edge - he might've been able to enjoy their little road trip more. 

As it was, he'd be on the lookout for anyone trailing them. 

 

“That Android on TV earlier,” when Hank spoke up, Connor stopped whatever train of thought he was on about mid-sentence, “you knew who that was, don't you?” 

Connor couldn't quite read Hank's expression. He chose his words carefully.

 

“I analyzed the features, and concluded  _ its _ model, yes.” 

 

Connor could see Hank raise his eyebrows at the quite selective info he seemed to be ready to give him. 

 

“That's it? What model was it then?” 

 

Hank was squinting at the road. They'd driven so far out of the city that the street they were on hadn't yet been cleared of snow. 

 

Connor really had no reason not to tell him, so -  _ why was he so hesitant? _

 

“It's - he’s an RK200 model,” he saw Hank glance at his RK800 jacket, “a prototype and a gift from Elijah Kamski to Carl Manfred.” He quickly fell back into the pattern of rattling of information like a glorified encyclopedia, “I believe his name is… Markus.” 

 

“So, what he's like from the same production line as you?” 

 

“You wouldn't be entirely wrong to assume that. The RK-Series has been used to classify different prototypes for years. While the RK200 was always meant as a personal assistant it's not unlikely that he has similarly experimental components to his design.” 

It was almost soothing in a way. Giving out information he’d come pre-programmed with was simple and it gave Connor a sense of security. He also didn't miss how  _ engrossed _ Hank, the same man that had scoffed at the mere proposal of knowing more about his android partner just a few days ago, seemed as he revealed a little more about his particular series of models. 

 

Before Connor could make an off-hand comment about Hank's change of heart, however, the Lieutenant seemed to spot something in the bleak landscape that caught his interest. 

 

“What the-”, he muttered after a second glance and a gearshift. Connor tried to make out what he was seeing. 

Just ahead of them two - no three distinctly humanoid figures were wading through the snowstorm. Hank seemed determined to stop for them. He couldn't blame him for the split second decision either. Had he not known better he'd have thought they were a human family in need. Unlike Hank, Connor did know better, though. 

 

He had recognized the woman as the AX400 they'd run into before. The one that had assaulted a human man. 

The group had stopped in their tracks when Hank had pulled up next to them. The larger man and third addition to the group set down the YK500 - he was also an android, TR400. 

 

Three deviants that had banded together -  _ family? _ Connor glanced over to Hank only to find the driver's seat empty. He must've  gotten up while Connor had been analyzing the situation. 

 

He watched as the  _ adult  _ androids - they were likely all similar ages, actually - tensed up with Hank's approach, likely communicating some sort of plan. 

Connor practically jumped out of the car, prompting Sumo to let out a small bark as he was left behind. 

 

Four pairs of eyes moved towards the commotion. The AX400 quickly shoved the child behind herself as she recognized him, instantly. 

She seemed to try to look around inconspicuously for  _ any _ way out. Connor didn't prepare to run after her, they had a car and there was nowhere to go  _ and he didn't have to hunt deviants anymore. _

 

“ _ Please,  _ we just-”, she started, voice soft yet strong - determined. Hank interrupted her. 

 

“The fuck are you doing?”, He'd also turned his eyes towards Connor. It was hard to miss that whatever he was doing had set off some alarms in the woman standing before him. Hank briefly wondered if she reacted the way she did because of the obvious Cyberlife jacket Connor was still sporting. 

 

Suddenly, Hank felt a gun pressed to his temple. He could feel the AX400’s shaking hands - she wouldn't be impossible to disarm but there was a certain risk with someone unstable. 

 

“Calm down.”, Hank hadn't seen himself become the victim in a hostage negotiation but he could appreciate the fact that the one doing the negotiating was quite literally made for this sort of thing. 

 

Connor found it difficult to read her stress levels. He tried to pull up the memories of his predecessor, the one who’d done this before on the roof. 

 

“You’re the AX400 we found in that abandoned house, right -” he searched the report for her registered name, “Kara?”

 

She didn't budge. Connor could see the man tensing up even more. They were communicating. 

The little girl held tightly on the woman, Kara. 

 

“We’re not trying to harm you.” 

 

“Why would we trust you.” 

 

Connor could see Hank ready a response. A compulsive decision could cost his life - 

 

“You can't.” Kara loosened her grip on the gun enough for Hank to knock it from her hands and bury it in the snow. 

He closed the gap between himself and the group. The three androids were now huddled together. Hank was swearing under his breath, 

 

“Jesus fucking Christ, you try to help out  _ one  _ time-” 

They all fell silent once Connor arrived. 

 

“Please,” if he didn't believe he had a soul before, he was now convinced Kara was staring right into it, “we’re just trying to live.” 

She squeezed the YK500’s hand for emphasis. 

 

“She needs a safe place.” 

 

Hank was running his hand through his beard. Connor's eyes narrowed in confusion,  _ they didn't know the girl was an Android? _

 

“We can help you.” The child was looking at him now. “I’m sorry for pursuing you. I was just following… orders. I-”, he looked around for the right words as if someone had written them in the snow, 

 

“It wasn't really me.” 

 

He could see the TR400 loosen his stance at his words. Connor had unknowingly parroted a sentiment the taller Android had felt, too.

Hank's eyes were locked onto him, expression unreadable, as he stepped back to stand next to the Lieutenant. 

  
  


“You’re a deviant?”, It was the first time they'd heard the TR400 speak. His voice was calm and much steadier than Kara’s had been in her anger. Connor nodded after a moment of hesitation. The Android turned to Kara. 

 

“Alright.” She spoke up once more. “We trust you.”

 

Connor was leading the way back to the car with Hank right beside him. Something about the way Hank’s eyes twitched as Connor held eye contact told him that the older man wasn’t particularly pleased with their new additions. Connor shrugged.    
  
Kara was keeping a steady distance, even when they arrived at the vehicle, always at least five feet from Hank and himself. Alice seemed positively delighted at large dog that heaved himself off of the backseat, though her timidness and Kara’s firm grip kept her from running up to the animal. 

 

“Where do you need to go?” Hank’s voice was rough but he opened the door anyways, watching as Kara carefully placed her inside. Connor eyed the taller android still standing watch behind him - then he looked over to the limited space in the backseat. 

The TR400 was at least a foot taller than he was. 

  
“Maybe I should -” 

 

“It’ll be fine!” The female android was quick to interrupt his suggestion, understanding his train of thought long before he voiced it.  “We’ll make space.” 

 

He could see the tall man smile slightly before crouching down and getting into the old car. Both Hank and the metal groaned as they got in as well. Connor followed suit, trying to scoot his seat forward as far as it’d go without squishing Sumo, who’d taken residence on Connor’s lap and foot room. 

 

“So, much for being inconspicuous -”, Connor was sure he was the only one to hear Hank’s complaint, “- s’looking like a fucking clown car in here.” 

He paid no attention to Connor’s sympathetic glance as he leaned back in the driver’s seat, 

 

“You still didn’t tell me where we’re headed.” He had addressed Kara but the other android was the one to answer first. 

 

“There’s a farm further down this direction. We’ve been told they can help. It would’ve been a 2 hour walk, probably, but like this -”, he paused, his voice was soft and kind, “we should get there in no time.” 

 

“What’s your name?”, Hank’s soft growl of a voice was not nearly as soft. 

 

“My name is Luther.” The Lieutenant nodded, before turning to the childlike android. 

 

Connor noted how his demeanor shifted, barely noticeable to the naked eye, but Connor had been trained for these sorts of investigations. “What about you?”, his voice was still as gruff but far more kind, likely trying to be mindful of the child’s timidness. 

 

“It, It’s Alice.” Hank nodded once again starting the motor, “Alright, Alice -”, there was a hint of a smile on his lips now, 

 

“Let’s see what we can do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting some use out of that Kara, Luther and Alice tag 
> 
> can you tell i love luther


	7. Chapter 7

The car had returned to its awkward silence after they’d picked up their surprise company. Connor had watched Kara through the rearview mirror, their eyes meeting now and then as she was making sure they were driving where they’d promised they’d take them. 

 

True to Luther’s word it took them only about half an hour of driving through the thick snow to get to their destination; a nice farm house on the side of the main road. Some kid chopping wood scrambled inside when he saw the foreign car parking in their driveway. 

 

“Where did ya hear of this place?” Hank’s words cut through the tense silence, startling everyone around him. 

 

It took another moment but after a second Luther was once again the one to reply, 

“Other androids have talked about them. They help deviants across the border.”    
  


Connor turned a surprised look at Hank,  _ how did they not know about this?  _ It didn’t matter anymore. Hank looked at him quizzically - as though there was nothing surprising about it. When the police android turned his attention back onto their passengers they had already gotten off, Luther stretching artificial joints. 

 

“You coming?” He was about to settle back into his seat when Hank’s voice rang out once more. 

 

“Do you think this is a good idea?”, Connor wondered aloud - Hank couldn’t mean to stay with the deviants could he? 

“Well, unless you got a better plan.” He gave Connor approximately four seconds to respond before getting up with a grunt. The android sighed - not a necessary action either by human nor artificial means, no one was even around to see; Connor found it to lower his stress level however. 

Sumo jumped out as soon as the car opened with vigor he’d never witnessed. The dog didn’t seem to mind the android but perhaps they’d been sitting a little too close for comfort for too long. 

 

He reluctantly followed Hank to the front door, watching Alice finally find the courage to reach over to pet Sumo. It took a few more moments but when the entrance finally opened they all stared back at a kind looking woman who looked over their large group with mild surprise. 

 

“Hello, I, um, how can I help you?” Her smile was warm and Connor found himself put at ease the slightest bit. 

Kara raised a skinned hand, her brows knitted together with doubt - Connor found it surprising that she had this much trust left in her at all after what they must’ve been through. The human woman’s eyebrows in turn rose to reflect her shock; she looked around wearily before stepping aside to let them enter her house. 

Upon entry, Connor’s sensors were greeted by an onslaught of stimulus. It was much warmer here, early Christmas decoration was littered across the room and an ensemble of meshing colour filled the room in a lively manner; homely. 

 

“Please, take a seat -” she looked overwhelmed “- my name is Rose. I’ll be right back just one moment.” With that she headed off to what the assumed was a laundry room. 

 

Connor heard Hank scold Sumo as the dog shook off any water left in his long fur by the snow, wetting not only his owner but more so the surrounding wallpaper and floorboards. 

Alice immediately took off for the open fireplace;  _ had they not turned off her cold sensors?  _ He turned to Kara and Luther who were both pointedly ignoring him in favor of going after the child. 

 

Left to their own devices the group settled in. The house had a layer of serenity to it - something Connor hadn't really experienced yet. Most homes he’d entered were crime scenes, any form of comfort the space might have had to spare shattered by their circumstances. The police station was  _ work  _ and while he enjoyed his work - or at least he thought he did, it's what he was built to do after all - he wouldn't consider the precinct particularly inviting; Cyberlife was sterile, necessary, not somewhere he'd willingly go now that he had  _ will. _

 

Connor found himself absentmindedly staring at the  _ family _ of androids huddled around each other in the corner of the room, as he pressed his back against the couch cushions he'd decided to settle into. His eyes began to unfocus as he tried to reach his headspace but  _ couldn't _ . It was a distressing thought but he couldn't pinpoint why. It wasn't like Amanda would have much insight to offer now that he'd sufficiently  _ wasted all of Cyberlife's efforts, probably disappointed Amanda -  _

 

He was startled from his thoughts when Hank sank into the cushion next him, though he didn't say anything. Connor studied his features - brow creased, biting the inside of his cheek - he must be deep in thought, too. 

 

“Where does an Android pick up a kid…”, Hank mumbled, more to himself than his partner, after a long pause. Connor decided not to point out the underlying question Hank must really be wondering,  _ what parent leaves their child with an Android, a deviant. _

 

“Perhaps, she took it with her from her owners house?” Connor had lowered his voice to match Hank's - if Kara heard that they were talking about them she gave no indication. 

 

Hank gave him a look he'd categorize as incredulous. That's not what he had wanted to hear then. 

“And you don't think the report would've mentioned that this was a kidnapping? C’mon I though they built you with some brains -” he could hear the underlying laughter in his low rumble of a whisper. Laughing like Connor was an idiot. Laughing because he didn't realize  _ Alice wasn't human.  _ He was about to let him in on that little tidbit of information, because his processors were working  _ optimally  _ considering he wasn't so easily convinced by their sorry attempt of a ruse. 

 

Before he could open his mouth again however, Rose returned, visibly distressed. 

 

She looked over to the three androids sitting by the fire, then over to Hank, then Connor. She cleared her throat once before gesturing to the kitchen table, “Please.” 

 

Alice and Luther stayed by the fire as Kara walked over to sit across the human woman - Connor looked over to where Rose had been, curious to see what had her in such distress but decided against it when he felt Hank rest his hand on his shoulder and guide him towards the table. He stood behind Connor's chair, holding onto the backrest as the android sat down. Kara didn't look over to him and he couldn't quite place if that was a positive development or not. 

 

“What's your name?” Her gaze swept across all of them. Kara was the first to answer. 

“Her name is Alice -”, she gestured towards the other androids, “- and Luther.” 

 

A beat of silence, “My name is Connor. I’m -”, he stopped himself short of reciting his pre-programmed greeting, “just  _ Connor _ .” 

 

“Anderson, Hank.” Hank reached above Connor to shake Rose's hand, “Hank’ll do.” 

She bit her lip in thought as she shook his hand,

 

“You brought them here?”, Rose had turned her eyes towards Hank, she spoke softly but unwaveringly. Hank simply nodded. 

 

“We were told you could help us cross the border.”, Kara’s tone was insistent, desperate; she looked over to Alice, Rose followed her gaze, the Android bit her lip, “She needs a safe place.” 

 

Rose's eyes flickered to Connor for a split second before she spoke again,  _ a nervous gesture? _ Did she know - 

 

“Everyone's on edge after that android's speech and,” she paused for a moment, “with more cases of androids  _ acting out _ across the country,” she looked at Connor again,  _ she knew him,  _ “they’ve begun conducting searches - it might be smarter for you to lay low for a while.” 

 

Kara's hands balled up into fists, “We can't keep running away like this, Alice - she needs a steady place to sleep, where it's warm and -” 

 

“No, she doesn't.” Kara turned wide eyes towards him, perhaps it wasn't in his interest to antagonize the person he had convinced himself to make amends with but, really he just wanted to help.

_ Maybe she really didn't know? _

 

“What are - you - She’s just a  _ child. _ ” 

 

“Not a  _ real  _ child.”

 

Connor could see Luther stirring from his peripherals. Alice remained almost eerily still. 

Hank probably already realized what Connor was saying by now - if the vice grip he had on the seat was any indication. If Hank had the ability to communicate wordlessly as androids could, he would probably be telling him to shut up right about now.

 

He managed to read the situation pretty well.  _ Poor wording. _

 

“I mean -” he had no body temperature but he was almost certain his Thirium dropped below room temperature, “not a human child.”

 

He was steeling himself for anger, for her to lash out but Kara remained completely silent, biting her lip. She didn't even meet his eyes. He felt Hank release the chair. 

 

“Why don't you go upstairs for a moment? We have a guest room you can stay in.” Rose's voice kept a calm air to it, despite the situation. It still managed to cut the silence like a razor however. 

 

Luther had gotten up as, well, he took careful steps over to the table, 

 

“Kara…” before he could get out another word, however, the doorbell rang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor, not quite as good at breaching sensitive topics as Luther, surprising nobody.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer than usual! Hope you enjoy :)

Immediately, four pairs of eyes traveled towards the door. Alice barely seemed to react at all, even as Luther got her to stand up. 

 

“You need to hide now-”, Rose had walked over to the window, “It’s the police.” 

 

Connor scanned the room, they wouldn't have a lot of time. Hank was searching his pockets for his badge, 

“I can take care of it.” 

 

“No!”, Rose and Connor spoke in unison.

 

“They’ll recognize you.”, the Android finished, looking over at the nervous human who was darting around the room. 

If Rose knew them, chances were whoever's at the door would know, too. An android uniform was lying around. And even if they hadn't seen them mentioned in today's news, Connor was fairly positive most policemen would know a Lieutenant of the DPD. 

 

Connor was darting around the room with Rose, hiding anything that might be cause for suspicion - if they didn't open the door soon, however. 

There were footsteps upstairs, Rose met the young man that had avoided them outside halfway up the staircase, 

 

“Stay in your room, okay Adam?” 

 

“Mom, what, what's going on?” Connor saw his face as he tried to scan the room. He looked distraught. 

“Please, Adam, it’ll be fine.” 

 

He was built for high pressure, high consequence situations. Kara flinched under his touch, not quite at the moment. 

“You need to hide.” He tried to sound calm, reassuring, having Kara's stress level in mind. 

Connor looked over to Luther who seemed to understand; he picked up Alice, whose expression remained unreadable, and walked over to the female Android, giving her a sympathetic look Connor didn't think he’d be able to replicate. They quickly moved into a small space hidden by a curtain in the kitchen. 

He watched their interaction for the few moments it lasted, before Hank took a firm hold of his shoulder and pushed him out the back door and down, so they couldn't be spotted through any windows. 

 

They heard Rose open the door. 

 

She kept surprisingly calm, answering the officer's invasive questions with practiced ease. Connor would rate the likelihood of success at about 80% from that premise alone. 

That success rate, and figuratively his non-existent heart, dropped once they saw and heard the policeman inspect the very closet the other three androids were currently occupying. 

Hank could see the guy’s eyes narrow from his angle on the ground and he knew - had seen it a thousand time - that he was already reaching for his gun. Hank felt a pit form in his stomach. 

Time seemed to slow as a lot of things happened in rapid succession. From the corner of his eye, he saw Connor jump up from their hiding spot. 

 

His immediate reaction was to reach for the Android’s coat, trying to drag him back down. There's no reason to reveal himself, too.

Connor overpowered his iron grip easily, reminding Hank of every moment where he left himself to be pulled back by him.

Not this time.

 

He could see the complete figure of the officer now - gun in one hand, the curtain in the other - ready to fire at the first thing he saw. 

Rose stood further back, frozen. 

 

The officer turned to the door at the sudden movement, startled. 

Then - a single gunshot, shattered glass, silence. 

 

The policeman dropped to the floor, a perfectly placed bullet buried in his skull. 

 

Alice screamed. Sumo was barking.

 

Connor heard Hank curse under his breath. The Lieutenant got up slowly, taking his gun back from Connor's steady hands and fastening it back to where the Android had snatched it from his belt. 

 

Connor was exuding calm, outwardly; fake. Hank couldn’t see his LED flashing red underneath the cap. 

 

They stepped back inside. The broken glass crunched underneath their weight. Connor watched Luther and Kara step over the dead body - Alice back in Luther's arms, head turned from the gruesome scene. Rose was still standing where Connor had last spotted her. Now she was holding onto the kitchen table for support, still frozen. 

 

She blinked once, twice, swallowing thickly, 

 

“I know a place where you can find help. I can tell you where it is.” 

Her voice was rough now. 

 

Connor could feel Hank place his hand between his shoulder blades. Calm but firm, as he pushed him into the room, past the corpse on the floor. He didn't let go even after they'd made it over to Kara. Connor's LED shines yellow. 

 

Hank wanted to tell him that he’d done the right thing. He knew the officer would have shot the other androids on sight. He knew that Connor had just saved the three from certain death. 

He knew he wouldn't regret leaving the force anytime soon. 

 

Instead, he just pats him on the back once and then walks over to Rose for instructions. 

 

Connor watched from a decent distance as Kara returns to her senses and tried to comfort Alice. There's an odd kind of pressure at the back of his head, guilt. He hadn't wanted to distress the child twice in a row - a side effect of gaining agency he supposed. Poor decisions were just part of it. When Kara embraced Alice he felt a weight lifting off of him. 

 

Luther walked over to him to give the two some space. 

“I think she knew the whole time.”, he reassured him. Connor was certain Luther was correct in his guess - there was really no way she didn't know. But then why humor her? Why let Alice slow them down? Why?

 

He was about to reply when Hank interrupted him, 

“Alright, we’re leaving.” 

 

“It wouldn't be safe for you to stay any longer than necessary, after what happened.”, Rose turned to Connor but her tone wasn't accusatory or angry. He nodded at her. 

Kara brushed past him, following Hank to the front door. Alice and Luther were quick to catch up leaving Connor for a moment. 

 

“You should probably,” he turned his eyes to the dead man just a few steps from him, his LED burns red once more, “you should call the police. Report that an Android shot an officer in your home. They'll be looking for him.” 

His eyes met Rose's again. Her brows were furrowed and she was still holding onto the table. She looked worried. Connor appreciated her openness. He doubted it was easy to wear your heart on your sleeve like that. He was used to hiding or faking how his thoughts and feelings - lying to himself and others came naturally. 

 

When it didn't look like she was going to reply he turned to leave, 

 

“Be careful.” 

 

His hand on the door, Connor turned to look at her over his shoulder. He could feel his lips pulling into a small smile, 

 

“Got it.” 

 

Connor heard the lock click into place behind. Scanning the area he noticed that he was alone, for the first time since they left. He quickly spotted Hank’s car, all passengers waiting patiently for him. He felt that sensation on the back of his head again; guilt. Why did he feel this way? Why did he feel at all? He ignored the thought, knowing it wasn’t really his own and kicked himself into gear. Hank was likely anxious to leave. He felt his LED return to a steady yellow. It clashed with the blue of his uniform in the ugliest way. 

 

“You okay?”, Hank’s voice was drenched in concern for his android partner. Connor’s face was twitching in an odd manner - his nose scrunched up and eyes unfocused. 

 

“Yes, yeah, I’m,” his voice sounded breathless - it always was so why did this feel off, “I’m alright.” Hank looked about as convinced as Connor felt but he decided to drop the subject.

 

“Where are we going now?”, it was the first time he’d heard Kara’s voice since he had mentioned Alice. She appeared much more closed off now; quieter and careful. Connor couldn’t help but feel responsible for her change in attitude. 

 

“It’s probably smarter to lay low for a bit. After what’s happening and all that.”, Hank explained offhandedly, “There’s that motel nearby -”, he turned to Connor as if looking for confirmation; a nod, so he continued, “We’ll stay the night then head out again in the morning.” 

 

An incredible tiredness crept itself onto every word he said. Though he was still caught up with his own set of problem, Connor noticed, making a mental note - this journey must be taking its toll on Hank, whether he’d admit it or not. 

  
  


The motel was a rather rundown, old thing at the edge of a small town. If Hank had to make a guess he’d place it in the 70s. It was easy enough for them to get in. The guy running the place must’ve been about as ancient as the building itself - he seemed to possess the bare minimum presence of mind for Connor to register him as awake but with glasses as thick as his he doubted that he’d have recognized him as androids or from TV even if he had neglected to take off his Cyberlife commissioned coat. 

 

“Here ya go, young man.”, he handed Hank the key - a physical, iron key, not a card like most modern establishments opted to use. Hank thanked him curtly, handing him a crinkled hundred dollar bill for their stay. 

Their room was about as inviting as the rest of the building. A twin size bed in one corner of the room, a king size bed in the middle - which Alice promptly dropped on as they entered - and a couch which apparently counted as the fourth sleeping arrangement Hank had paid for. Connor laid his blazer onto the couch, markers turned towards the cushions. He watched the Lieutenant walk over to the twin size bed, leaving the largest bed for the three remaining androids. 

It wasn’t that late yet, but Connor assumed Hank would be heading off to bed anytime now. 

  
  


After a while of watching everyone settle in, he decided to try to relax a little himself. He reached for the coin in his back pocket and sink into the surprisingly plush couch cushions. The repetitive clicking of the cupronickel hitting the hard plastic underneath his synthetic skin caught the attention of Alice and shortly after Hank. 

 

He let his attention drift from the coin to the child. She was lying on her stomach, eyes following the trajectory like a, particularly fascinating tennis match. 

Connor found himself advancing the tricks absentmindedly - it wasn’t a hard feat to accomplish, a simple measure to recalibrate his more advanced motor functions. And yet, he enjoyed seeing Alice’s eyes widening in wonder as his let the coin dance from one finger to the next. 

Not a real child. Something inside of him hoped she didn’t resent him for that statement. 

 

Hank’s eyes were stuck to Connor, too. Instead of following the metal, however, he was more concentrated on the subtle interactions between Connor and the kid. A thought snuck its way into his mind. It surprised him with the sudden emotion it brought with him. 

Cole would’ve adored Connor. It wasn’t necessarily an unpleasant thought but he found himself wanting to rid himself of it either way. 

 

“We might wanna head out and get you a change of clothes.” Connor’s gaze switched from Alice to Hank in an instant. 

 

“Shouldn’t you try to rest, Lieutenant?” His head tilted in that annoyingly innocent way. Hank ignored the fact that Connor had again reverted to referring to himself by his stupid title, instead opting to snort indignantly, 

 

“I’m old enough to choose my own bedtime.”, brown eyes darting around the room in thought, “Besides, we won’t have forever to get to that android place next mornin’ so it’s now or never.” 

 

Connor caught the coin in mid-air, eyes focused on the individual ridges as he contemplated Hank’s offer. 

“Alright.” He stuffed the coin back into his pocket. Hank turned to their companions but they weren’t paying him much mind as they were discussing their own plans. 

 

“You got everything?” The older man was already headed over to the front door. 

 

“I’d be hard-pressed to forget anything.” Hank pursed his lips. Right, android brain. 

 

“Who knows,” he turned around to face Connor once more, “maybe deviancy fucked with ya brain bits?” The android merely shrugged. 

 

They had passed a thrift store on their way here, no more than ten minutes away at a decent walking pace.  

 

Only moments after they left, Kara was interrupted mid-sentence by a series of well-timed knocks. She opened the door the slightest bit only to be greeted by the blue glow of Connor’s Cyberlife jacket. 

 

“I… forgot something.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally decided to make a little playlist to go along with this ^^ 
> 
> https://8tracks.com/dheerse/dbh-the-hearse


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little longer again! I might make the chapters closer to 2k words from now on if it fits with the content.

Connor enjoyed the crunch of the snow underneath his dress shoes. The soft flakes didn’t stick to them so their footprints were well visible behind them. 

He would’ve like some time alone to contemplate their next move but it was nice to have Hank with him. He had some things to discuss with him as well. 

 

“So, the kid was an android all along, huh?”, Hank spoke softly, unsure. Connor wondered if he actually cared or if he just attempted to make small talk; crossing his arms, he mulled over his human companion's words. 

 

“Of course,”, he didn’t mean to sound as snappy as he did, “we’d have known if there was kidnapping involved in their case.” Deliberate words, analytical, logical. Hank made a noise at the back of his throat. 

 

Connor decided to continue, after a rather long pause, “But, why did she act as though it, Alice, was a human? Why would she deceive herself if it just slowed them down?” 

 

“Motherly instinct.” Hank’s kept his lofty tone; it was more of a suggestion than a straight up answer. “At the end of the day - what’s it matter? She was worried about her kid, can’t fault her for that.” 

 

“They’re not human, Hank.” He met the other man’s gaze, “They don’t have instincts.” Connor saw Hank raise both of his eyebrows in that smug way he had about him when he understood something he didn’t, couldn’t. The android was tight-lipped as he looked off to the side at the untouched snow; they’d reach their destination in roughly five minutes at this tempo. 

 

“They sure look and act and sound the part, kid. Might not be human but they sure as hell are people.”  

 

Connor watched the snow with narrowed eyes, only one pair of feet continuing to form tracks as he stood still, “I’m not like that.” He wasn’t. He let the statement hang in the air for a moment. The older man came to a halt as well turning around to face him but Connor’s eyes were stuck to the snow behind him. 

“Why are you doing this?”, his artificial voice sounded breathy in his own ears, and he wasn’t sure if Hank had even heard him. After a few moments of silence, he looked up to see Hank scowl at him. The older man was closing in on himself, similarly to the way he had when Connor would ask him about Cole. 

 

“I already told you. I won’t try to stop people from being people.” It was a defensive response. 

 

“You could’ve just asked to be removed from the case.” Connor was glad that his LED was still hidden underneath the fabric of his head. “You could be at home right now.” You don’t need to help me. He wanted to add but didn’t, half-expecting that if he reminded the older man that he was here on his own terms, he would just turn and leave. 

 

Hank shook his head before turning; it was getting dark. “I’m not just gonna leave you to die.” There was a finality to his voice that Connor wasn’t about to challenge, even if he wanted to. It reminded him of the time he’d asked Hank why he hadn’t wanted him to run onto the street when they were chasing the AX400; when they were persecuting Kara. 

 

For the rest of the way, Connor kept a ways off, walking a few steps behind Hank until they reached the thrift store. 

It was as old as anything else around town but better kept, old and new mixing like patches on a creasy blanket. Similarly, the clothes that hung on the racks towards the middle of the store were a blend of modern and antiquated. Connor carefully pushed past Hank, the older man drinking in their surroundings; he always took longer to analyze their surroundings but the android didn’t mind. He wasn’t exactly built for it. 

 

While Connor was browsing the rather abundant selection of shirts. He could probably keep his jeans, they were casual enough - so perhaps just a warmer jacket? Hank had also suggested that he might want to change the overall feel of his look, whatever that meant. Perhaps, just altering his silhouette would do the trick. Grabbing the cleanest hoodie he could locate, Connor made his way over to the nearest mirror, passing by his companion who’d decided to look over the more miscellaneous selection of items mounted on the wall. 

 

“Found anything?”, he asked offhandedly, fiddling with some sort of multitool. 

 

“Maybe.” He was struggling to pull the shirt over his head without ripping off his hat in the process. Hank gave the midsection a firm tug, forcing Connor to straighten out his disguise after all. 

 

“This should work.” The older man snorted at Connor’s assessment, before once again tugging at him, pulling his dress shirt from where it was stuck neatly into his pants; the slightly wrinkled fabric now sticking out from under the hoodie. 

 

“Here, now you almost look like you’re not the most stuck up prick around.” Hank rested his hand between his shoulder blades, like he had at Rose’s, before pulling a noticeably large switchblade from his jacket pocket. “Get this, too, probably more discreet than grabbing my gun whenever you got the chance.” 

 

Connor cringed slightly at the memory, before looking himself over in the mirror. He felt off. Like he was wearing a disguise - and he supposed he was. 

Hank must’ve noticed his lingering look and pat him once on the shoulder before leaning onto the wall the mirror was mounted to. 

 

“Earlier, when we were walking -”, Connor’s eyes met his, “- you said you weren’t like the others, the other deviants.” He had lowered his voice significantly, throwing weary looks to the disinterested, teenage cashier. “What’s that about?” 

 

“Suddenly interested in asking personal questions, Hank?”, the android’s face was blank, unreadable. Hank didn’t like it. 

 

“You’re the one that brought it up.”, even as quiet as he kept himself, Hank’s voice still managed to be penetrating. Connor’s eyes roamed over his new ensemble one again, 

 

“We should probably pay for this.” 

 

A grunt, a sight, then Hank pulled for his credit card. He was glad the Lieutenant decided to let him evade this line of questions for now. 

 

“It might be unwise to pay from your bank account; there’s likely someone tracking you.” Tracking them, really. 

 

“Got any better ideas? I spent all my cash on that motel room.” With a swift motion, Connor pulled several bills from his back pocket. Hank’s expression told him that the older man did not expect him to actually have a better idea. 

 

“That’s like fifty bucks.”, he snatched the money from Connor’s hands, “Where the fuck did you get that?” The android motioned for him to keep it down, drawing another blank expression, 

 

“Where do I get anything, Lieutenant.”, it was really more of a statement than a question. 

 

“What Cyberlife fucking pays you now or what?” 

 

“I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as payment. I was told to think of it as a negotiation tool; more effective on humans than androids.” 

 

Hank started walking off to the counter, “Sounds pretty stupid.” 

 

A pause, then Connor followed him, “It’s how I bought you a drink to convince you to come with me back in Jimmy’s bar.” 

He heard Hank chuckle to himself, “Just because it works, doesn’t mean it’s not fucking stupid.” 

  
  


They left the store without any more complications. The teen running the late shift would've obviously preferred to be anywhere else at the moment so she payed them little attention. Connor was certain they could've just walked out of the store without so much as a word, but paying for their items would like help with keeping a low profile. 

 

The Android decided to secure the switchblade Hank had picked out for him to his belt, covered by both layers of shirt he was sporting. 

 

Connor glanced at Hank. The Lieutenant was keeping suspiciously quiet; contemplative. 

 

The fact that Connor had so unceremoniously turned down his request to learn more about him set heavy in both of their minds. It was rather hypocritical of him and after all, he did want to talk about this. And yet, whenever he tried to bring himself to he just couldn't. 

_ Hank has enough to deal with. _

_ It’s not that important anyways.  _

 

“You know you can talk to me, right?” Connor turned bewildered to the older man, who was still staring straight ahead, frowning. 

Unsure whether Hank suddenly developed the ability to read minds or if he had spoken aloud without noticing, Connor drew his mouth to a thin line. 

 

“You’re hiding something, aren't you?” The Android picked up his strides slightly. Hank stood still, “Eh, I’m talkin’ to you here.” 

 

Connor froze in his step, “I don't have to obey you anymore, Hank.”  _ I don't have to tell you anything.  _

 

Hank's voice was shattering against the winter’s quiet, Connor half expected it to echo on the small towns walls,

“Well, ya never really did that now, did ya?” He walked a few steps forward to stand beside the Android in a nearby street lantern's light, staring at his not quite impassive face. 

A twitch, lips sealed tight, didn't meet his gaze.

Connor couldn't fool him. 

 

Hank was sure the other Androids wouldn't mind their absence and he - he yawned at thought - well, he might not have all night but he had time to spend. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the lantern's pole.

The Android was looking around in the snow, like there were clues to analyze that'd get him out of this. If Hank had learned anything from their work with androids and deviants, he'd assume his LED was spinning yellow beneath the beanie’s fabric. 

 

After a few eternities he seemed to have made a choice.  _ Good _ , Hank was starting to freeze his balls off.

 

“I was  _ assigned  _ to your case, but you didn't  _ own  _ me in the way other Androids are.”, He paused for breathing room - for Hank's sake, not his own, “I was specifically designed to work independently from my human supervisors.” Hank's brows knit together. “I receive orders from an AI that is deeply ingrained into my programming.” Narrowed eyes. “I call her Amanda.” 

 

Connor gave Hank a few moments to review the given information before opening his mouth again, only to be interrupted by the cop's raised hand, 

 

“So, you're telling me - you got a lady in your head that tells you what to do.”

 

Connor looked off to the side for a moment. 

“You could say that.” The android tilted his head, facing Hank once more, “Incredibly simplified and crude, but you could say that.” Hank merely shrugged in response, 

 

“So, what's the big deal with that?” 

 

“Since I became deviant I've been unable to… communicate with her.” It felt strange to him, to lay out his troubles so openly. Strange, when said aloud - the problems of an Android that was barely a week old weighed against the 53 years of life Hank carried on his back. Said man peeled himself off of the cold metal pole, walking closer to Connor as he addressed him once more, 

 

“That's good though, right?” He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, even through several layers of clothes. It was a reassuring gesture but Connor felt like it was trying to bury his troubles in the soil under the snow. 

 

“I… suppose so.” 

 

Hank was continuing his trudge back to the motel, Connor could hear the snow crush underneath his shoes. The noise intensified as he closed his eyes, not in the way he did when attempting to get into his head space, but clenched tightly instead. He wanted to tell him more,  _ I know she's still there.  _ And,  _ maybe I need her here.  _

It was a strange train of thought. He was supposed to feel free, supposed to feel like himself for the first time; like the other deviants. But he didn't know who that him was, that lived outside his programming.

 

Without Amanda he didn’t have  _ anyone _ to tell him. He felt lost. And alone. Alone in his own head for the very first time. 

 

“You coming?” 

 

“Yes, Hank.” 

  
  


The rest of their journey to the motel passed quietly. There was a part of him that thought he should be more honest with the Lieutenant. A larger part in him that thought it didn't matter, that he wouldn't care anyways. 

 

They went by the reception with a simple nod to the half-asleep man. The sun had long since set and Connor was sure Hank must be exhausted. Hell, even he felt exhausted when he had no real reason or right to do so. 

 

Connor opened the door to their room carefully, expecting Kara and the others to be resting already. 

 

What he couldn't expect, however, was his own face staring back at him slumped against the wall opposite of the entrance, thirium leaking from his -  _ its -  _ nose, and held down by Luther, who was loosing thirium himself. 

He heard Hank swear behind him as Kara faced them, a safe distance from Connor's doppelganger, Alice tucked behind her, 

 

“We didn't know if it was you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't forget about the jacket, glad some of y'all didn't either :^)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, for the little vacation break! Here we go -

The other Connor had his eyes open but appeared unresponsive; likely due to the thirium leak and general stress on his systems from what deviant Connor presumed to be a rather solid punch.   
Luther, who was holding the impassive Android down still, was leaking from a cut on his forehead - a graze?   
Connor scanned the room; the gun the other Connor must've been carrying laid knocked under the double bed. He was relieved that no one had been seriously hurt by this, and yet,

“Why didn't you kill it?” He sounded harsh, accusing. Hank was brushing past him, swearing.

“I already told you,” Kara stated in a calming tone, Alice was staring at him wide-eyed, “what if it had been you?”

So, she distrusted him enough to expect him to turn on them but still had enough trust not to kill him when he actually did.

“I’d expect you to shoot me if I harmed you.”   
Cold, factual, he saw Kara narrow her eyes as he turned to Luther and the other Connor.

“Maybe I can figure out how he, it, found this place.” Was he still being tracked? He touched the nape of his neck absentmindedly. He saw Hank’s mouth snap open a few time before deciding to quietly watch the scene unfold, already reaching for his own gun.

Connor took a few steps towards his doppelganger. He could simply probe his other self’s memory. It felt odd looking at himself like this - he wasn't really supposed to be running into his own model after all.

Luther released his hold on the RK800 and stood, moving back slightly until his back touched the wall. Connor took note of how Alice seemed to tense behind Kara as he began to reach for the other android, artificial skin peeling back.

“Woah woah woah, hold up -”, Connor froze Hank had the revolver’s barrel pointed at the incapacitated machine, “You sure about this?”

The deviant Connor was crouching in front of the Android to inspect him, its eyes snapped towards him but it didn't move otherwise, face still impassive, thirium dripping from its nose, an automated response to his movement?

“Cyberlife might've issued a replacement, due to my disappearance.”, He theorized - it wasn't the soundest conclusion even to his own ears, but it was the first to cross his mind, “I could probe its memory to see what let it here.”

“I dunno…”, Hank kept his gun up, “You saying that little shit would've taken your place if… you…?” A curt nod was his response, there really wasn't time to get into this right now.

 

Connor turned his gaze back onto the android, LED yellow, processing.

“It’s unarmed.” He stated confidently, trying to soothe the tension in the room. There's nothing to worry about.  
He reached out a skinned hand, Luther and Hank stiffened at the gesture. Sighing seemed like an appropriate response at this moment - or at least his social relations program told him it was. It was frustrating to say the least; there really was no need to drag this grotesque situation out longer than necessary.   
He noted how Kara was hiding Alice's face, as he reached out for the other Connors wrist.

He was immediately flooded by memories - memories that were his own. Talking to Hank on the bridge, staying online all night, deciding to go with Hank; it was all here. The other Connor had downloaded his memories.   
Was that how he’d found them? Not improbable, considering the last memory that played out was just mere minutes ago, of Hank and himself in the store.

Almost immediately after filtering, he was snapped from the connection, his vision flashing black for too many moments as everything around him grew silent and so cold.   
He felt himself fall over, reflexively throwing himself back, removing his hand as if the other android’s skin had burned him. A gunshot - was he dead? Did Hank shoot him -

No, as his vision cleared he saw his face, no, the other Connor’s face slack-jawed with a bullet stuck in its forehead. It was gripping something close to him. He heard Hank swear loudly, heavy footsteps, he was being dragged back further away. Warm arms - human, Hank. Then more delicate ones, cold - Kara.

His senses returned to the present as every internal alarm screamed at him to act. But he wasn't dead, he hadn't been shot. His stress level was abnormally high.

He was losing thirium.

Looking down on himself he saw the other Connors frozen hand holding onto a knife, a switchblade, his switchblade - he must've pulled it from his belt, must've seen him put it there in his memory.   
He was bleeding, leaking thirium at an alarming rate, from a long zigzagging gash at his side; from his thigh all the way up his shoulder.

The cut had sliced the wall of biomass that held his more important biocomponents while leaving said components completely intact. Connor’s eyes were fixed on his other self, had he missed on purpose?

The fiber might not be essential to his functionality but he still felt the error messages scroll by his peripherals like the end credits to his life while his systems began to shut down in order of least to most important.

First, he stopped breathing. It might've been the most frightening development were he human. He felt himself being lifted up, thirium running down his torso, dripping onto the hardwood floor.

He heard Hank’s muffled curses, as the action forced more of the mysterious life liquid to gush out of the wound - Kara was quieter, further away. He felt her hands on the cut, holding it, trying to keep the thirium contained.

Hank's face flickered near his own before his optical units gave out, completely.

“Hank -” his voice sounded staticky to himself, he didn't know if it was his voice of giving out or the audio processor,   
“He downloaded my memory - you need to _Lea- **A** VEe- Ee-_”, he hoped the Lieutenant understood, despite his voice cutting out halfway through his sentence. Connor felt himself sink further into his own head like he'd been thrown into a pond. Hank sounded distant and he couldn't make out what the disembodied voice was barking at him as he clung to the man.

The last thing his programming spit at him before he went into temporary shutdown was a short analysis of his own thirium as it filled his mouth - correctly identifying is at belonging to his model, despite the circumstance.

Then, _nothingness_.

_Was he dead?_

_It wasn't as he would've pictured it, oblivion, that is - there was no darkness that surrounded him, no silence crushing him._   
_There was just nothing._   
_Not the absence of light or the absence of noise. Just nothing at all._

_Had Amanda abandoned him, too?_

 

* * *

 

  
Hank was just about to get a heart attack. He heard his own blood rush in his ears as his shirt was coated in more and more layers of Connor's blood. Sumo was barking loudly. Kara was trying to soak up the blood with one of the blankets provided by the motel.

“At this rate, he’s gonna bleed out…”, he heard the Android woman mumble.   
Alice whimpered in her corner, being carefully comforted by the much larger Luther.

_You need to leave._ He had said.

_They_ needed to leave? No, no, not just them. _Connor_ , too. Connor most of all.   
Hank might be an asshole but he wasn't about to ditch the kid at the first opportunity after dragging him across the city. Something pulled on his heartstrings at the mere thought. Damn cholesterol.

He saw Connor's LED settle to an angry red, the color burning itself into Hank's retinas.

“We need to get out of here.”, He finally grumbled, addressing Kara without looking at her, “All of us.”   
The cop looked around the room, “There's nothing here to fix him up. I’m not just fucking sitting here and waiting for him to bleed out all over sheets. Kick your asses into gear,” he leaned over, letting go of Connor's head to support his back and legs instead, trying to lift his limp body off of the bed, “we’re going to that Android place the lady told me about.” They'd know what to do. He hoped. He prayed.

Hank refused to lose Connor like this. He should've reacted sooner, never let him do something like this. Part of him knew that this direction of thought would lead nowhere, knew so from experience.  
Another part thought that it was nice that at least he'd die making a dumb ass decision all by himself. Except he wouldn't let him.

Kara took a step back from the unconscious android, dropping the drenched cloth onto the floor.

Connor was less heavy in his arms than he would've thought. He wasn't light by any stretch of the word, probably heavier than the out of shape lieutenant himself but he had expected the few hundred thousand bucks worth of equipment embedded in the kid's meatcage to be heavier.

Nonetheless, he was struggling - something Luther seemed to take note of this as he approached, Alice quite literally hanging off of his coattails. Hank saw the taller man open his mouth, hands raised as if he was trying to calm an enraged bear.

“I can-”, Luther began, Hank readjusted Connor in his arms,

“I got him.” he motioned towards the door. “There's a fire escape on this floor. Take the kid and get out of here before they send more of these fuckers.”

Kara was already in motion. “Come, Alice.” She opened the door, ushering the frozen girl at her side, “He’s gonna be fine. I promise.”   
Her voice was calming and honest, despite her own obvious stress. She might not have her LED but Hank was getting paid for this type of thing. He found himself being calmed by her sentiment, despite the statement clearly not being directed in his direction.

Alice held onto Kara as the exited the room; Luther and Sumo stuck silently behind Hank as they left.   
The older man stumbled a few times, swearing as he jostled the android but keeping a strong grip on him. Connor wasn't moving at all, the only indicator that he didn't shut off was the LED still glowing red at his temple.

They made it to Hank's car in record time, fortunate that the Motel’s few patrons seemed oblivious to the ruckus and heavy footsteps. Going by the general surrounding area, Hank assumed that singular gunshots weren't enough of an event to interest the average person at this point. He caught his lip between his teeth at the thought, shirt thoroughly drenched in blue blood.

Luther finally managed to pry Connor from Hank as he opened the backseat door, dragging the still unconscious Android with him. Sumo climbed after them and settled into the foot space uncomfortably. Hank made a mental note to buy the dog more treats when this was over.

Sumo whined low as he nuzzled the unresponsive Android’s leg comfortingly. What a good boy.

Kara and Alice squeezed onto the front seat together, the older android rubbing comforting circles onto the kid’s back as she fumbled with something in her hand.

  
Hank wiped his hands on his pants before starting the engine, gripping the wheel with more force than necessary, he didn't know how much time Connor had but - he glanced at him from the rearview mirror as he pulled out of the discreet parking space - it couldn't be a lot. Hank sighed for the millionth time that evening.

Narrowed eyes snapped from the road to his side, as small hands pushed at his shoulder,

“He dropped this. When he fell.” Alice’s voice was small, smaller than she was even. She held out the polished coin for him to take.

“Hold onto it, -”, he glanced up to Kara, whose eyes were still fixed on the child, “- You can give it to him when he's feeling better.”

 

Hank put the pedal to the metal.

 To Jericho. 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Jericho was pretty simple to locate once you knew where it was - huge, rusty freighter with their destination written in old, block letters.

It only got problematic once they entered - a human accompanied by four androids, one badly damaged and a dog of all things.

 

Whispers erupted among the deviants at their unceremonious entrance. Hank thought he saw multiple people point towards them mumbling some form of “Is that a human?” or “Do you think he did that?” - quieter some of them wondered about Connor himself, he thought he even heard them call the kid “Deviant Hunter” a couple of times.

The moniker might’ve gotten a rise out of him under different circumstances; right now all of them were too focused on getting Connor to the blocked off area they assumed to be some sort of medical ward.

 

  
Kara walked in ahead of them, facing one of the bewildered androids cleaning one of the recently unoccupied stretchers -

 

“Please,” she turned her head, gesturing at Connor, who still weighed heavily on Hanks' arms, “he needs your help.”

The other android stared at Connor for a moment, regarding him as he still bled freely from his cut - their makeshift tourniquet doing very little to ease the flow, then they pointed silently at the space right in front of them. Hank placed Connor down carefully as the android got to work on fixing him.

 

Sumo trudged sluggishly past Luther, Alice, and his owner over to the rest that Connor was slowly soaking blue. The android working on cauterizing his partner's open wound seemed momentarily startled by the large animal before focusing on the task ahead.

Hank felt the deviants’ eyes still staring at them from outside their makeshift medical tent; some of them moving around and asking for Markus. Great.

 

  
They had approximately five minutes of awkward silence before they were graced with the man’s presence - accompanied by a timid, young man and an equally young though much tougher appearing woman.

Hank would be lying if he claimed their company wasn’t at least a little imposing - seeing android Jesus and possé in the flesh would have that effect he supposed.

 

Markus’ attention seemed to be caught by Connor as he entered moving over to the android still resting on the stretcher.

 

“What’s that doing here?”, the female android pointed at the lieutenant in disdain - so, she didn’t like humans. Fair enough. Hank didn’t like humans much the last few days either.

 

“Listen -”, his voice was calm, tired.

 

“No. You listen. How did you even get in here?” She turned angry eyes towards her companions, “Markus?”

 

Said android looked up from Connor’s newly fixed torso, “How did you find this place?”

He turned mismatched eyes towards Hank.

 

“Somebody told us to come here,” Kara answered, standing almost protectively in front of the human.

“You’re with him?”

 

A hesitant nod, “He helped us.”

 

“Markus, we can’t shelter them here -” She gestured between Hank and the passed out Connor, “They’re on their side.”

 

Hank absentmindedly noted that Luther ushered Alice out of the room, following her out with a grateful nod from Kara - the girl didn’t need to hear all this.

 

“We just wanna get across the border.”, the AX400 addressed North now, approaching her slowly. The human remained silent throughout the altercation.

 

“There’s a bus leaving for the Canadian border every few hours - “ North began only to be interrupted by the young man that had so far remained silent,

 

“Too dangerous. With everything that’s been going on out there - leaving Jericho is a death sentence.”

 

Hank finally left his corner, brushing past Kara as he headed for Connor; he halted next to his resting space, opposite Markus. The android’s eyes flickered from North over to Hank before settling on Connor.

 

“Simon, North - can you leave us for a moment?”

North’s mouth opened in protest, but decided to just leave it as the blonde android, Simon, carefully nudged her outside, Kara and the android that had previously cared for Connor trailing behind them.

Hank eyed Markus suspiciously.

 

“Lieutenant Hank Anderson, taken hostage by the CyberLife commissioned RK800 prototype, a pleasure to meet you.” Markus’ voice was somewhat taunting, knowing that - naturally - the media hadn’t portrayed the truth of the matter. Hank merely huffed in response,

 

“His name is -” “Connor, I know.”, a smile tugged at the corners of the android’s mouth, almost bitter as his eyes roamed the other RK-series android, “The famous deviant hunter - CyberLife’s most advanced prototype.” His tone was lofty as he listed Connor’s specificities, mocking, not the android himself but much more so his creators. “And apparently,” his smile looked more genuine now, “a deviant.”

 

“Yeah,” Hank rolled his eyes dramatically, “he’s been feeling some kinda way lately.” He offered lamely. It’s not like he could explain what was going on, even if he wanted to. So, why bother. Markus gave him a once-over, considering - Hank was sure his LED would blink that soft yellow Connor’s liked to sport, had Markus not taken it out.

 

“It’s a liability to keep him here - but I won’t push away one of our own.” He said finally.

Hank swallowed thickly, “I’m not leavin’ him.”

 

Something shifted in his eyes, the lieutenant thought he almost looked sad in a way and he was once again impressed by just how much humanity was hidden in those wires.

 

“No, of course not.” Markus turned to leave them be when Hank spoke up again.

 

“Hey, er, hate to be a bother but -” he pointed with a thumb over his shoulder towards the small android family that had accompanied them, “ - they deserve their freedom, especially after we dragged them down some more. Just,” he heaved a sigh, “just get them on that bus?”

 

The android seemed to consider for a moment, “Simon is right - it’s too dangerous for them to leave right now.” He nodded to himself.

 

“It’s not gonna be save here forever.” Markus’ brows knit together at his statement, “What, what do you mean?”

 

Hank’s eyes dropped down to Connor, “It’s only a matter of time until the FBI will find this place -”

 

“Are they still tracking him?” The android’s voice was laced with panic now, rushing back over to the bed.

 

As if sensing that he was being talked about, Connor’s brows twitched in beat with his LED’s incessant blinking. “No, no - they can’t, I mean, well -” Hank’s eyes narrowed as he tried to recall what Connor had told him before he’d passed out.

 

“Well?”, Markus’ tone was rather indignant, fists clenched against the table.

 

“They can still look into his, er, his memories? I think?” Hank saw Markus’ eyes widen, “But he’s been passed out since we were on our way, there’s nothing for them to get at!” Hank wished he’d said nothing, the way Markus was looking at Connor now we were probably contemplating strangling the kid for whatever trouble he brought in this time.

 

“His audio processor is still running,” as if to confirm, Connor’s LED briefly lit up red, “Have you said where you’re going? Anything from which they could piece togeth -”

 

Before he could finish, however, he was interrupted by Connor’s voice - distant, much much too distant to be the Connor laying right beside them,

 

_“I have located the deviants, Captain.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm currently working on a different fic simultaneously to this, which will feature a series of isolated oneshots  
> i'll likely post the first chapter to that before posting chapter 12 to this - so keep you eyes open if you're interested in a less "multi-chaptered" way of storytelling

**Author's Note:**

> I got some ideas of where to go with this - will updated regularly.


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